#9 JMU BREEZES PAST VILLANOVA 35-7

Saturday, September 29

Harrisonburg, Va.

12:05 p.m.

James Madison University

4-1 , 2-0

Villanova

3-2 , 1-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Villanova

James Madison

9/29/2007 4:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Sept. 29, 2007 –- Junior quarterback Rodney Landers (Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood) threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores to lead James Madison to a 35-7 Colonial Athletic Association football victory over Villanova Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field.

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Landers had the first JMU 300-yard passing effort in six seasons and completed 25 of 32 passes while connecting with nine receivers. He completed his first 11 passes, ran 18 times for a team-high 70 yards and directed a JMU offense that compiled 507 total yards.

The victory was the fourth straight for ninth-ranked JMU and raised the Dukes' overall record to 4-1 and their CAA mark to 2-0. JMU won for the 11th-straight time at home.

Villanova had a three-game winning streak snapped and fell to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the CAA.

Lander scored on runs of nine yards during the second quarter and two yards during the final period and twice connected with sophomore tight end Mike Caussin (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) on touchdown passes. They combined on a 17-yarder for JMU's first score during the opening period and on an 18-yarder that gave the Dukes a 28-0 lead early during the final quarter.

JMU finished with 207 rushing yards with seven players carrying from scrimmage and with 300 passing yards. Sophomore wide receiver Ray Brown (Clinton, Md./C.H. Flowers) and senior wide receiver L.C. Baker (Richmond, Va./Armstrong) each had six catches for the Dukes. Brown's previous career high for receptions was two, and Baker had all of his receptions before sitting out the second half. He also had a 37-yard run from scrimmage to help set up a score.

JMU ran 82 plays while Villanova had just 201 total yards on 48 plays. JMU led time of possession 38:10 to 21:50, and the Dukes at halftime led in yardage 313-76 and possession time 20:41 to 9:19. Villanova overall had 77 yards rushing and 124 yards passing.

JMU drove 77 yards in 13 plays on the game's opening series to take a 7-0 on the 17-yard Landers-to-Caussin touchdown pass with 10:07 left in the first quarter. Landers hit on six straight passes and for 64 yards during the series.

The Dukes scored twice during a five-minute span of the second quarter to raise their lead to 21-0. Landers gave JMU a 14-0 lead with his nine-yard touchdown run with 7:19 left in the period, and true-freshman tailback Scott Noble (Baltimore, Md./Franklin) scored from one yard with 2:45 left in the period.

The Dukes drove 78 yards in eight plays during the drive on which Landers scored and 43 yards in seven plays during the series on which Noble got his third touchdown in two weeks.

Baker's 37-yard carry to the Villanova 19 set up Landers' scoring run, and senior safety Nick Adams' (Virginia Bach, Va./Floyd Kellam) four-yard interception return to the Villanova 43 set up the drive on which Noble scored.

The 18-yard Landers-to-Caussin touchdown pass capped a 61-yard, 10-play drive that gave JMU a 28-0 lead with 14:15 left in the game and came after Villanova had second-half drives stopped on downs at the JMU 34- and 39-yard lines. The scoring toss came on a third-and-10 play after the duo combined on an 11-yard pass to open the possession.

Landers' two-yard scoring run capped JMU's next possession, an 80-yard, 13-play series. Landers hit Brown with passes of 23, 16 and 16 yards before scoring on a fourth-down carry.

Villanova scored on the following possession, going 53 yards in seven plays with quarterback Anton Young scoring on a five-yard run. Young hit Matthew Sheery with a 24-yard pass and Jonathan Hughes with a 10-yarder to set up the score.

In addition to Landers' 70 rushing yards, JMU got 53 yards on 10 carries from senior tailback Antoinne Bolton (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes).

Young completed 15 of 23 passes for 124 yards for Villanova.

Sophomore defensive end Arthur Moats (Portsmouth, Va./Churchland) led a balanced JMU defense with six tackles, including two unassisted.

JMU returns to action next Saturday (Oct. 6) in a 12:30 p.m. game at Northeastern. Northeastern was idle Saturday and is 1-3 overall 0-1 in the CAA.

Villanova hosts William & Mary next Saturday at 6 p.m.

Notes

The last JMU player to throw for 300 yards in a game was Matt LeZotte (2001-04), who had 376 passing yards (second in team history) and a JMU-record 405 yards of total offense in a 45-44 double-overtime loss at Villanova Oct. 6, 2001. Landers' 370 yards of total offense surpassed his previous career high of 369 yards Sept. 8 in a 41-24 home win over New Hampshire.

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